Interesting to see at the Vintners Tasting Gemstone and Bond pouring 2000 vintage wines. My picks from this tasting of the wines I was able to sample: 2001 Chimney Rock Stags Leap- a very elegant wine and, I think, better than the equivalent bottles from Shafer and Pine Ridge.
2001 Joseph Phelps Napa. probably not going to wine blind tastings but dry, classic cassis nose, and a fine value. Two rich and accessible Oakville bottlings; 2001 Provenance and Turnbull.
At the Society- Wow the 2001 La Jota was fat, and really drinking well, as was the 2001 Rudd Oakville, a highly perfumed, and seemingly complete wine already.
Each tasting had a Diamond Creek 2001- while clearly the tarrif on these wines is out of control they seemed to me to have a lot of potential- the Volcanic was austere and tannic but seemed to have the fruit to go the distance, while the Red Rock Terrace had a captivating nose though was closed on the palate.
There were less than serendipitous wines as well which I could note if requested.
http://www.castroonline.com/spectrum/winemook.html
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